Meaning & use
love to bits
Last updated
UK/ˌlʌv tə ˈbɪts/
US/ˌlʌv tə ˈbɪts/
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
To love someone very much; to be extremely fond of them.
Grammar: Used with an object between 'love' and 'to bits': love someone to bits.
Patterns
- love someone to bits
- be loved to bits
She loves her grandchildren to bits.
He's a lovely man and I love him to bits.
They loved the puppy to bits from the moment they got it.
Common combinations
- love someone to bits
- I love my sister to bits, even when she annoys me.
- be loved to bits
- The old teacher was loved to bits by all her students.
- think the world of someone
- My father thinks the world of you.
- adore someone
- She adores her little nephew.
Synonyms and how they differ
- adore
- Stronger and more formal than 'love to bits'; it can also mean to worship a god.
- cherish
- More literary and serious; it suggests protecting someone you love.
- be devoted to
- Focuses on loyalty and commitment rather than warm affection.
Opposites
Commonly confused: love to bits or love to pieces?
love to bits vs love to pieces
This is a less common variant with the same meaning; 'bits' is the standard word in this idiom.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'love to bits' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The object goes between 'love' and 'to bits': love my dog to bits. The other options break the fixed order of the phrase.
Make it your own
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